


Carried on Hylian Winds

by Blue_Sparkle



Category: The Legend of Zelda & Related Fandoms
Genre: Attempted assassination, Enemies Working Together, F/M, Gerudo Fortress, Past Affair, Past Relationship(s), Storms, awkward baby bonding time, bokoblins in the background but not actually appearing, briefly borrowed animals, ganondad, not part of a specific timeline, some threats of violence
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-02
Updated: 2017-01-31
Packaged: 2018-07-28 22:54:30
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 17,270
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7660126
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blue_Sparkle/pseuds/Blue_Sparkle
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Far from the safety of Hyrule Castle, Zelda seeks out Ganondorf, with a plea for help and carrying something of great value to both of them with her</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The wind blew harsh across the field and howled between the cliffs, speeding up and then losing itself between the sharp rocks. It would only get harsher soon, bringing a storm and already carrying the electric pang of the lightning’s potential. Soon the forces of nature would start their destructive and beautiful spectacle of violence over the canyon.

There were still a few hours before the sun would set, obscured by the thick black storm clouds that already had cast the land in darkness, leaving the soldiers and those of their tribe who had followed to hide in the caverns that had been fashioned into more solid dwellings than the tents they’d brought. It was as if the goddesses were gathering up their fury and rage to throw all their force against Ganondorf’s followers, making them cower and hide from the wind.

It didn’t matter. These people, who were his by their choice, were safe in the temporary villages between the rocks, and his people by birth were far far away, where the storm would not reach them. Besides, they would welcome the rain, harsh as it was, with laughter.

Ganondorf didn’t laugh as he stood on a tall outcrop of the cliffs, his cloak billowing behind him like a great sail and cracking with the force of the wind. A small smile did flicker over his lips however, pleased as he was by the play of darkness and the distant flicker of the quickly approaching lightning. He had always loved such display, even without the need for rain.

Even Hyrule’s storms seemed gentler to him than what was common in the desert, though they were far from mild.

A hawk flew up to where Ganondorf towered over the land, and he recognized it as one of the birds the village’s sentries and patrols used to communicate with each other quickly and efficiently. A message was attached to its foot, so Ganondorf beckoned the bird and gently removed it.

A lone figure had been seen, approaching from the south east, travelling off course, if its destination was any village of Hylians. The Bokoblin who’d seen the figure had gotten a confirmation of the sighting from several others, and now asked for orders.

Alone as that traveller was, there was little cause for alarm. It might just be one who’d strayed from their path after all. But they just might try and find shelter in the caverns in the rocks, and thus discover the Bokoblin dwellings, which would force them to react.

Ganondorf gazed at the message for a moment, idly stroking the hawk’s feathers as he did so. The Bokoblin could be right, of course, but he doubted that the storm would blow a chance traveller ahead of it, with how long the distant rumble had been heard all over.

He dismissed the bird, and cast his senses out, searching for-

_Ah_

Truly, he could feel _her_ approach, clear and reverberating in his body, as if she wasn’t even trying to conceal her power. It had been too long since he’d last felt it this close.

She might be someone who could cause great harm to his people by finding the Bokoblins in such masses, with as many weapons as were stored deep in the caves. But surely she knew that the beginnings of Ganondorf’s dark army were gathered there. If not, then she was truly too foolish to wield the gift that was granted her.

Ganondorf didn’t waste any time making his way back down to the paths between the rocks on foot, instead travelling through the space between them in several sharp snaps of his cloak and a buzz of darkness.

Jumping through the rocks with magic was easy as breathing, and he could feel the divine power in the traveller call out to its counterpart that had been granted to Ganondorf. It was as if she _wanted_ to be caught.

One might nearly suspect a trap, but Ganondorf could not sense the presence of anyone but her for miles and miles in every direction. Only his followers were nearby, and he’d be able to take out anyone she might throw at him either way.

Her own power might be a match, but he was confident enough to know that no true danger would face him.

Ganondorf warped from place to place for the last time, ending up at the outcrops of the plateau and the canyons running through it. There were enough sharp rocks to hide him from her eyes, though he could already hear the beat of hooves over the distant thunder and the howl around him.

In no time she came into view, covered from head to toe in a dark cloak wrapped tight against the wind. Her mare was a good steed, though not as elegant as the white stallions the royal family was so fond of.

Ganondorf gave her only a second to try and sense him before he raised his hand into the air, gathering pure white hot energy into his fists and casting the spell at the ground before the horse’s hooves quick as lightning.

The mare squealed and reared as the earth exploded before her. As she shied away from it her rider was thrown off. The Hylian reacted quickly, hitting the rocks hard with her back and rolling with it, curling up as if to shield herself from further attacks, but Ganondorf gave her no time to draw a weapon or cast a spell either.

Another bolt broke the rock right where the woman’s head had been mere seconds before, flying in a curve so that her next evasive motion brought her closer to Ganondorf’s position, trapping her between the rocks and him, with no way past.

There was no need to grab her, as the Hylian had stopped moving when she noticed Ganondorf towering above her. She wasn’t small for her kind, but she would barely reach his chest if she were standing, and now, covering from the impact of her fall she was nothing before him.

“In all your wisdom, you make a poor spy for your people,” Ganondorf said, smiling sharply down at her. “Or have they decided that one like you must play assassin just in case I might rise above the station they would see me rot at? In either case, you have failed.”

His face would be shadowed to her, with his eyes glowing with his magic and their light catching in the heavy gem on his forehead. Intimidating to others, but she wouldn’t be the one in all of Hyrule whose power he respected if she were to cower before him just for this.

As if this situation wasn’t a horrible threat to her, the woman rose to her feet slowly, still completely hidden by her cloak that somehow wasn’t being blown off by the wind. She raised one hand from between the folds of the heavy fabric to push back the hood.

Golden hair flowed free of its confinement, streaming in the wind like a banner. Dark blue, nearly violet eyes met Ganondorf’s golden burning gaze levelly, and the princess’s deathly pale face was a mask of perfect composure, delicate as porcelain and hard as steel.

“You know full well that I have not come for that purpose. You have done nothing that marks you as a traitor, as far as my council knows.”

Zelda spoke as calmly as if they were in company of that same council, as if there wasn’t a storm that would have drowned out her voice raging so close to them, if she weren’t speaking as loud and clear as if she were addressing a full throne room. As if they just were two royals, meeting under official circumstances. It was amusing indeed.

Ganondorf laughed at her behaviour, ever tied to propriety, and at the idea of rusted old councilmen trying to find something in his actions to condemn him. They would not even understand the things he did, with not even a speck of magic in their blood.

“And to what do I owe the pleasure of your company then? Surely you can’t tell me that you _missed_ me,” Ganondorf mocked her, his smile widening as he stepped closer. She now had to crane her neck slightly to be able to look him in the face, their bodies nearly touching.

“A princess straying so far from her pretty white castle, with not even a single lady-in-waiting by her side. Surely it’s not proper to wander around in the wild and be so completely alone with a King.”

Zelda didn’t flinch as he raised his hand to take one of her braids in hand, the sharp edge of his gauntlet dangerously close to slicing against her cheek.

There was a sharp underlying fury in her eyes though, even as the mask of courtliness didn’t crumble.

“What I must discuss with you is of no concern to the council or any lady-in-waiting,” she said, her voice still even. “No soul in Hyrule Castle or truly all of Hyrule should concern itself with this.”

“Of course.”

Ganondorf frowned at her cool demeanour. Even a day’s worth of hard travel away from her father’s throne Zelda played the part of a puppet well, only concerned with her castle and the wellbeing of her people.

Ironic nearly, given how much fire there had been in her the last time he’d seen her.

Fire in her gaze as he attended her father’s court like a loyal hound when she watched him. Heated flame in her touch and warmth in her voice as her nails raised thin lines in his skin.

It had been droll to see their situation unfold like that. 

The pieces of the triforce in them both coalesced their fates irrevocably and pitted them against each other in the inevitability of their destinies. They knew it, they felt it. 

Even as Ganondorf was nothing but a servant to Hyrule’s King for now, they both knew the potential for war and destruction that he carried. Much as Zelda carried the key of _his_ destruction in her as well. They had been drawn to each other, and he’d revelled in the knowledge of having the carrier of Wisdom in such a way, and perhaps she had been drunk on his Power as well.

There was no hatred between them in this lifetime yet, but the potential for it had served well to ignite an intoxicating passion. They were destined foes, and she was the princess of the Kingdom he both hated and coveted. Beautiful as the ancient goddesses, with a mind and power to match his own, desirable in body and in the knowledge that he was somehow tainting her in the eyes of her people, if they ever found out about this.

A beautiful insult to those who would only regard the Gerudo King with disdain, seeing him as nothing but a prince of thieves, a demon with evil eyes that were just like his barbarian sisters’.

“You cling to propriety as if it is a suitable shield against me,” Ganondorf said and brought his face closer to hers. “The only one you brought as I see.”

He glanced over her briefly. Zelda wore no jewellery and her dress looked to be that a simple working woman might wear in the castle. Nothing but her royal bearing was marking her as the princess of these lands.

“Do you fear me so little that you haven’t even bothered to protect yourself.”

“I have nothing to fear,” Zelda replied, averting her eyes. “This isn’t the time for you to try and kill the heir to Hyrule’s throne, no matter whether anyone would connect my demise to your actions.”

Anger flared up in Ganondorf briefly, and he considered killing her on the spot for presuming he wouldn’t. He would be rid of Wisdom and the heir to the throne in one swoop that way.

But she was right. He wouldn’t gain anything from her dying now, and he might still have use for her powers in the future. No need to destroy a potential weapon or an adversary who might match him in wit. There was no satisfaction in killing a defenceless woman who didn’t even raise her hand for curses of her own.

“How right you are,” he said after a brief moment of consideration.

He leaned even closer, his breath hot against her long pointed ear. It twitched with Zelda’s annoyance, always a sensitive area that would earn Ganondorf a moan or a slap, depending on her mood. Now it would serve to remind her of these instances, not letting her pretend that nothing had ever happened at all.

“Then tell me, _fair maiden_ , why have you come to me if not out of fear or malice?”

Zelda gave him a glare, the first true emotion that flicked over her face in this meeting at his emphasis.

Perhaps she hadn’t been a maiden by Hylian standards when they first met, perhaps she had, but the matter had always been a cause of great anxiety to the princess. The taboo of her actions had thrilled Zelda more than it had Ganondorf, who had no patience for the conventions of her people, but he had obliged to the necessary secrecy. 

“I have come here to ask for your help.”

The bluntness and her sudden demanding tone took Ganondorf aback for a moment. He straightened out and crossed his arms before his chest, staring down at her.

“And why, princess, would you come to _me_?”

Already his mind was racing for causes for a despair so deep Zelda would seek out him, and not the Hero, wherever he was, and things that would be of so much worth to him that Zelda would attempt to offer in exchange.

For a moment Zelda pressed her lips together and it looked as if she was tightening her arms around her body under the heavy cloak she wore, as if she had to brace herself against what she would ask of him. Finally her gaze met his, and the mask of composure was back.

“The council has been in unrest,” she started, as if she was just discussing the matter of harvest taxes and no more. “In some of their eyes I have been a rather unsuitable heir for quite a while. My father will not even think about the idea of naming any distant relative his heir over me, though I’m no son to him. He will not think of arranging a marriage between any council member and me that I do not deem wise, and I’m not easily charmed by any who thinks me a foolish girl who might easily be wooed into picking the next King and my husband.”

Ganondorf laughed, his voice drowning in the thunder that was now so close he could taste the electricity in the air.

“No. I doubt any of those dusty old nobles quite matches your tastes in lovers, do they?”

Zelda stared at him without replying for a few moments.

“Now that my father is travelling in regions allied with Hyrule, far from the castle some of them decided to let their displeasure turn into action. There has been an assassination attempt that I barely avoided.”

At that Ganondorf raised his eyebrows. If Hyrule’s council was so unstable as to attempt something like this with their own princess, it might just be ripe for the taking.

“They would attempt to murder the only heir to the throne in the King’s absence. I pity you for how fragile your hold on your own people is then. Do you wish me to rid your land of all who oppose you then? In exchange for control just to preserve your own life. I would gladly do that anyway.”

“It is not I who was nearly killed, and I am not the only heir to the throne as it stands.”

For a second Zelda looked up at him with hesitation, and Ganondorf didn’t speak as he waited for her to explain herself. Then finally she unhooked whatever clasps held her cloak shut from the inside, and pushed the fabric aside.

At last he saw that she was holding a bundle of what looked like old blankets, and the itch to shield himself or attack before she could spring her trap shut was overwhelming, but Ganondorf remained still as a statue as he watched Zelda fumble with it.

It was a child, he realized, recognizing the way it was wrapped just the way his sisters would tuck in their daughters on icy nights. A child carried by the princess of Hyrule, in utmost secrecy, after one of the royal line was nearly killed by some scheming old bags in the council.

The disgust at the idea of murdering a mere babe for being born with royal blood mingled with the sudden sharp glee at the realization that the princess had been disgraced before her people after all.

His laugh was more bellow than a human sound ought to be, mingling with the howling wind.

“So despite all caution and divine wisdom the princess of Hyrule has tainted her reputation and given the people a bastard child. Fascinating, that the King is so mellow as to recognize such a grandchild. Let me guess, you hope for my aid because you imagine there is some lingering affection I hold for you?”

Zelda’s expression tightened, and now Ganondorf knew that the fury in her came from what must have happened mere days ago. Of course an attempted murder like that would grate her, for not having foreseen it early enough to protect herself fully.

“I don’t have any delusions of that kind. No, what I’m appealing to is your pride.”

She raised the bundle up to him, a silent offering, and Ganondorf only looked down to quench his curiosity in seeing the newest member of the royal family and the child of his destined enemy.

There was no mistaking _what_ the babe was. A shock of auburn hair, shining with red fire even in the little light the storm clouds left, and skin lighter than his own was, but too dark to leave any doubts about her origins. Ears with a long pointed curve, but rounder than her mother’s, and Ganondorf had a feeling that the baby girl’s eyes would be golden, once she woke and looked up at him.

Ganondorf hadn’t set foot into Hyrule Castle or seen the Princess in more than a year, but the child was no newborn either. He’d held enough children born in his tribe to know that her age was right, even if he weren’t the only man alive to sire a child looking the way that she did.

If it weren’t such a personal matter Ganondorf might have admired Zelda for being able to hide the child’s existence from him for so long, with not even the tiniest rumour making it to the desert. This was why he had felt her approach so clearly as well; a mask to overshadow a child’s presence with the power of the triforce resonating in her.

“I haven’t been careless, as you know,” Zelda started her explanation, as Ganondorf still stared down at the little girl. “Precautions and potions that I have been taught by my closest advisor failed me in this case, as I’ve heard can happen sometimes. Either way, it is done, and Hyrule has a new princess. You might be glad to have infiltrated my Kingdom, even if it’s not in a way you could have planned ahead for.”

Ganondorf’s eyes met her’s, his gaze hard.

“No,” he agreed, his voice laced with threat. “I never imagined for it to happen like this.”

Zelda lowered her arms to cradle the child against her chest more comfortably, and her head turned so she could gaze towards where the fields reached far and wide, the direction of her home.

“Either way, my father might have many flaws in his rule, but he is my father and I am his daughter before we are King and heir to the throne. He accepts my child, naming her legitimate despite any protest, and nobody would speak their mind too loudly once their King puts his foot down. Some think this is some curse by the goddesses, a test, and others think that surely I’ve lost my mind and this child can’t be seen as anything but a parasite. Again, not something the King accepts. The council can’t do anything but hope that they will never have to actually acknowledge a Gerudo child as their princess, once she grows up.”

A sneer split Ganondorf’s face at that. He had known that the nobility of a race that considered themselves closest to the goddesses would look down on any Gerudo, unless a sword was there to tickle their throats, but he could not suppress the rage that welled up in him at the thought. He would have thought that any spawn of the royal line would be welcomed, with how they stood above all else no matter what else was mixed into their bloodline.

“Do you have so little control over what goes on in your own court that an assassination attempt could happen simply while the King’s back was turned?”

Zelda’s glare met his easily, unperturbed once more. Perhaps it was the knowledge that her power was equal to his, even if it wasn’t one meant for raw force, that had her this calm, or perhaps Zelda didn’t feel threatened by someone who’s bed she’d shared. Either way, it might do good to teach her to not be reckless after invading his territory.

Before she could react Ganondorf’s hand sprang forward, closing around her throat, firm, but light enough not to cut off her breathing. She gasped briefly, but still she remained calm, even with her life in danger as it was now.

“Do not act as if none of this affects you, as if I am not a greater threat to your life than anything that goes on in that castle,” he said, his voice a quiet hiss.

The first drops of rain started to hit the ground, heavy and warm. Soon it would start to pour down on them, now that the storm had finally caught up to their position.

“Do not come here, and act as if I should care for your proof about how me and mine are viewed in that court, I have tasted their disdain personally.”

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut, and there was pain in her expression now. A part of Ganondorf knew that this might as well just be her manipulation as she played the part she knew he wanted to see, but it still pleased him enough to loosen his grip so that his hand rested against her neck without holding on to it anymore.

“I don’t know who gave the order yet, but there was an attempt to poison both me and the child. I know it, for it took me some time and some healing crafts to recover from it, and the dosage surely would have been lethal to the child if I hadn’t noticed this. A clever plan, actually. They would blame some outside source on trying to assassinate _me_ , and then claiming that my daughter was an unfortunate causality though the goddesses protected the true princess, of course.”

The corners of her mouth twitched as if she was trying to hide a bitter smile.

“Such an easy way to get rid of my child too. No matter who I marry or how many children I might still have, this girl will always be my heir so one would want to get rid of her. Doing it now would be by far less suspicious.”

“So what do you propose to do? Do you want me to help you find the one who did it and strike him down for you so your hands will remain clean?”

Zelda shook her head, and for a moment she looked positively cruel.

“I can take care of them myself, and I will in due time. No, what I need is for you to take and protect the princess. I can’t act as regent and pretend that I trust my council while shielding her from attacks that might come from all sides and take unexpected shapes. I barely protected her this time, and I paid bitterly for it too.”

“You’re playing into their hands,” Ganondorf said. “Having your child carried away by a thievish King and take her away from Hyrule Castle will only accomplish what the traitors already wished to see.”

“No. She will be out of reach of even the most ambitious assassin, and I will gladly shed tears and mourn how my dearest daughter’s life in in danger, how I saw no choice but to entrust her life to those who walk in shadow and would see her safe, if that’s what it takes. Who will dare object to a mother, desolate and forced to separate from her child for as long as there is danger. Think what you want of my people, but the common folk living in Castle Town love her dearly, no matter what she looks like or who her sire is. If I make this public the outrage will force the traitors to lie low for a while as well.”

Ganondorf snorted at her plan. It wasn’t even a full lie, though he was not one of the shadow people who served the royal family.

“You are the best one to keep her safe,” Zelda said as he didn’t agree to this immediately. “There is no truly safe place in Hyrule where a child with the looks of a Gerudo could be hidden.”

“And why would I do this for you? There is nothing I can gain from this.”

Zelda stared at him for a moment, and then looked down at the girl. The rain had picked up in earnest now, and a thick sheet of water started to cover the land. The lightning was above them now, and in the utter noise the silent moment somehow weighted heavier between them.

“Is it not enough that you will have your daughter with you?” Zelda asked after a while, and her voice sounded less melodic now, somehow tired. “You have told me countless times about how treasured any child is among the Gerudo, no matter whether it’s fit for the life in the desert or not. You will have influence on her. You can make her a true Gerudo.”

Ganondorf quietly cursed the times he’d told her of the desert and his tribe, letting down his guard and wishing to share that with the princess, who’d never known his lands. She spoke the truth, any child was loved and welcomed, and he had been called to watch over his nieces, had been seen as more of a parent than a King by all the tiny girls in his keep who were too young to hold a practice sword, let alone understand his position in their society.

Already he could picture introducing the little princess to his tribe, and carrying her around in a sling for everyone to see. He had missed the first few months of her life, but he would be able to take her to the Spirit Temple and ask for the Goddess of the Sand to bless her before gifting her with her first headdress; copper for her youth and an imperial topaz of pure fire for her status as the King’s daughter-

A look at Zelda’s eyes and Ganondorf nearly roared at the sky in his rage as he realized how she was attempting to manipulate him into this even now. He should break through her spell and see this as the false trap that this was, kill her and her illusion right now, but already he couldn’t shake the thought of taking his child and promising her mother protection. Of course he couldn’t do anything but this, and she must have known…

Even as his enemy and obstacle to true might, Zelda had given him a child; something to be treasured and protected, and as his child’s mother she now was entitled to some manner of protection too. Ganondorf’s sisters would never attack or harm their children’s sires unless there was good cause for it, and he had been raised to do the same, should it ever come to this.

“Very well, I will take her to the Gerudo desert and watch over her until your castle is safe enough to house a princess,” he agreed finally, and took note of the tension that seemed to seep of Zelda’s posture. At least she hadn’t taken this for granted.

“I put a light spell on her so she wouldn’t wake and cry as I tried to travel undetected, but it will fade soon. 

That explained why the child wasn’t waking up with the storm raging all around them.

“What is her name?” he finally thought to ask as he stretched out his arms for Zelda to place the bundle into.

“Dinaru,” Zelda said softly and bowed her head. “I named her in honour of the goddesses.”

Ganondorf grinned at that. A display of perfect piety to name a girl after one of the golden goddesses yet still an insult to the councilmen who might already object to the child’s origin, though they could not voice that objection without seeming blasphemous.

“Then I will ride at once, and you better make your way back as well, ere someone decides that the princess has been blown away by the storm.”

Zelda shot him a last polite glare. She looked towards the field again, where her mare was still waiting for her despite the rain and the thunder. A well trained horse indeed, to wait for her master like this.

Then Zelda bowed her head over the sleeping baby again, not quick enough to hide the hurt in her expression from Ganondorf’s eyes. She leaned over to kiss Dinaru’s brow and whisper some encouragement, arranged the folds of the blanket so that the baby was protected from the rain better and stood straight again, as if that moment of weakness hadn’t happened.

“I wish you a swift and safe journey,” she said with a slightly curtsey. Her eyes met his for a last time, a last silent plea, before she turned. wrapping her cloak around herself once more.

Ganondorf stood with Dinaru in his arms for a few moments as he watched Zelda mount her mare and ride off, quickly turning into nothing more than a blur in the heavy rainfall. Then he wrapped his own cloak around his side, shielding the precious bundle in his arm. She weighed nothing to him, and didn’t wake as he jumped through space to get away from the rocks.

His great stallion would serve as a better transportation to get to the desert than magic. It would be easier on the little child, and wouldn’t drain his energy fully to get there. Riding would give him time to think the situation through better, clear his head to form a plan of his own.

Zelda’s spell on the child didn’t dissolve as Ganondorf sat on his horse and urged him to run as fast as he could, or when the thundering beat of the hooves joined the storm, moving fast towards the west, carrying the girl away from Hyrule and onwards towards the desert.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> thank you all for the lovely comments and for asking me to go on with this story.   
> I'm afraid there's far less plot and far less tense and exciting things in this chapter. Just... baby time

The great desert stretched endlessly below them, a sea of pale silver waves in sharp contrast to the clear night sky. It was breath-taking, no matter how the day or night looked like otherwise, always so awe-inspiring and beautiful or serene or deathly gorgeous. Right now the desert look nearly peaceful, and Ganondorf knew that he would hear sounds of life emerging from the sands everywhere, and might even see some of the bolder creatures if he were down below in the sand.

Right now the moon was a slim sickle moving towards its zenith, and under normal circumstances he would have ridden through the night until he reached the great fortress before the sun even considered rising. He had a day of hard riding behind him, but despite the violent winds and the storm raging all around them Frostfire had not shown any signs of tiring so far. The stallion had pressed on towards a familiar destination without needing its master’s commands all too often, its thundering hooves matching the thundering heavens easily.

Towards the evening the iron grip the storm had on the traveller started to lessen, and despite its increasingly harsh raging Ganondorf had soon outridden the lightning, and later the rain as well, until even the clouds started to dissolve slowly. He was under desert sky before the sun had set.

If he were alone he would only have stopped to let Frostfire drink and rest for half an hour, at most, but Ganondorf carried the little bundle entrusted to him by the princess of Hyrule herself.

He had felt the spell of rest Zelda had put on their child fade as the storm had, and soon it was only natural sleep keeping Dinaru from waking up. It would have been an easy thing to reinforce it and press on until they were safe across a sea of sand. Dinaru looked healthy enough, with soft pudgy cheeks and a healthy blush to her face, so she would easily survive more than a day without food, if it came to that.

Ganondorf had considered it, knowing that strong children should deal with such a minor hardship without growing sick, but this was the princess of Hyrule in his hands, and his own daughter besides. It wouldn’t be too much of a pain to stop and make sure the child had everything it needed, especially so soon after someone had tried to murder it. Besides, it would give him ample time to consider his next steps and examine her a little before actually arriving in his fortress.

The mountains separating the Gerudo desert from Hyrule had many precarious paths that few knew of. They could cost a careless traveller their life, leaving many to believe that the only truly safe way between the two realms was the valley leading over a canyon and stretching on through the mountains. It was the only route used by merchants or by official messengers. 

Ganondorf had learned the secret paths that would hide one from both Gerudo and Hylian sentries easily. Many of his sisters used them to get to the nearby settlements that were sprinkled near the mountains here and there, and Ganondorf sometimes liked to take those roads even now, when he wanted to surprise the court with his presence. The King always knew when Ganondorf meant to visit, but some of the councilmen stood in contact with the guards along the road.

Frostfire was too heavy for many of the roads, but still he found a path that lead them through the mountains quickly, hidden from any chance view as they were just a dark shape moving against dark rock. They found a cave on the other side of the mountains, overlooking the desert, with grass and a little stream close enough to the entrance for Frostfire to rest for the night.

It was warm enough that Ganondorf didn’t even bother creating a light for warmth. They didn’t need it anyway. He carefully laid Dinaru on the cave’s floor, folding her blanket so that she lay softly, and then went about finding food for her.

Nothing in his saddlebags would be any good for a small toothless child, and even if he were to mash it up somehow to feed to her, he wasn’t sure how old exactly she was, and what she could eat at all. Instead Ganondorf warped himself away from the mountains, a few miles back to the east where he cast out his mind to search for suitable lifeforms. He found a goat by a little farm, and took the animal with him easily. He would return her once the animal’s usefulness to him ran its course, and her absence wouldn’t even be noted.

After tying her to a rock and making sure that the goat wasn’t too nervous Ganondorf created a ghostly image of a human to let the phantom take care of milking the animal for him. As the shade gathered milk in a bowl from the saddlebags, Ganondorf sat down in the cave with his back to the rock and a good view on the desert, to gather Dinaru in his arms and think.

She seemed so impossibly small, perhaps even smaller than the children back at the fortress. He could have easily held her with only one hand.

Ganondorf cradled the child’s head, his thumb brushing over her cheek. He watched her scrunch up her nose a little, then cast out a searching spell to try and find anything wrong about her. There was no illusion or any spell at all clinging to her, besides the last traces of what had kept her so quiet for their journey. She must truly be what he saw, with no attempt at deception.

After only a little while of this Dinaru started to stir. Her voice was a tiny wail, barely audible over the wind at first. Then she started to move in earnest, wiggling in her little bundle and crying pitifully. Her voice grew louder, but not as much as to cause Ganondorf concern over the noise, and he chuckled slightly.

Her lungs were healthy then.

The milk wasn’t quite ready yet, so there was nothing yet to comfort her but to gently rock her in his hands, as he’d done so many times for his sisters’ daughters. It didn’t console her at all, only making her cry more with her cheeks wet with tears in no time. Humming some old half forgotten lullabies didn’t do the trick either, and Ganondorf was in no mood to sing to her now.

After a while he realized that there would be no comfort to Dinaru coming from him, as she was surely afraid by the unfamiliar man before her, dark in the night’s shadows. She would never have seen another Gerudo, would never have heard the lullabies women sang to their children before they were even born. Ganondorf wasn’t even sure whether she had ever seen a man before, and certainly not one in armour. Zelda would have had maids to help her care for the child.

Removing the armour with its strange patterns and its hardness making for an unfamiliar embrace would possibly calm the child, but Ganondorf would not take off any of it out here, not even for her. He did remove his gauntlets after a while, both to keep its clawed edges away from Dinaru and to give her some sort of contact that wasn’t metal or leather.

Dinaru didn’t calm down until the phantom was done with its work. There wasn’t too much milk, but it had been gathered in a bottle and closed off with some cloth that would be suitable for the child to drink.

At last she calmed at the familiar act of getting a bottle, still sniffling but grabbing on to the bottle with two tiny hands as Ganondorf gave it to her.

As she busied herself with sucking up all of it greedily he wondered how these things were handled in Hyrule. From the looks of her, Dinaru was about the age Gerudo mothers would start letting their daughters drink goat milk and eat carefully mashed up beans and roots rather than only ever nursing from them, to get used to proper food. There had never been a moment for Ganondorf to learn about a _Hylian_ mother’s ways though.

When Dinaru was done with the milk she made a small distressed sound as Ganondorf took the bottle away from her, but didn’t start crying again. Her cheeks were still damp as she stared up at him, sucking on her knuckles. Her eyes weren’t golden, as Ganondorf noticed with a slight surprise. They looked to be some shade of blue or green, lighter than her mother’s, but hard to name in moonlight.

As the child watched him, Ganondorf examined her in turn. She looked different than any Gerudo baby he had ever seen, her features more Hylian, her nose smaller and her ears too pointy for anyone to doubt part of her heritage. Ganondorf wasn’t sure whether this was because of him, for being the first Gerudo man to sire a half-Hylian child in a century at least that made this difference, or if it was Zelda’s bloodline that carried over to this child so strongly as well. 

Her ears drew Ganondorf’s attention the most, as it was something that would mark her as different among the Gerudo, if he chose to keep her with the tribe. There would be questions, no matter what, but the ears would earn her whispers.

It was strange to see such long points on a little baby, and somehow Ganondorf had assumed that young Hylians didn’t actually grow into that size. He traced the curve of Dinaru’s ear up to the tip, and she scrunched up her face in displeasure again.

As he pulled his hand away the little girl reached for it, her little hands barely able to wrap around his finger as she held on and stared at it with a frown that looked rather ridiculous on her round pudgy face. Ganondorf chuckled as he pulled away from her light grip and raised her so that her face was directly before his.

“What am I to do with you, princess?” he asked her, considering his options.

He could hide her away in some abandoned outpost and create a simple portal to watch over her without anyone in the fortress knowing. Perhaps some of the quiet loyal girls might watch over her as well, if they knew how to keep their mouths shut and not report back to anyone else. No matter what else Dinaru was, she was Zelda’s daughter, and the King’s granddaughter, a good bargaining chip either way. If she weren’t Gerudo Ganondorf might even have considered blackmailing the council with her life, but not even the worst traitor of his tribe would ever be lowered to being such a tool, much less a child too young to prove her character.

Dinaru made a strange bubbling sound, completely entranced by something, though Ganondorf had expected her to be more scared of him at such proximity. He’d been told that the Hylian children running about the castle were especially afraid of his face and constant dark glare.

Instead of showing signs of distress Dinaru reached out her soft little hand, and tugged at the largest of the gems set on Ganondorf’s forehead. She wouldn’t let go of it as he tried to lower her gently, and just gripped the crown harder.

“Do you like my crown, little one?”

He heard the patting sound of her hands against the gem again, and he chuckled.

“That’s an imperial topaz, you have good taste. One day you will wear one of these as well. Would you like that?”

Dinaru babbled a nonsense reply as she tugged at the crown relentlessly and Ganondorf laughed again.

“You can’t have this one.”

He pried her fingers open as gently as he could and lowered Dinaru into his lap again. Before she could even think to start whining again Ganondorf broke a ruby from the setting in his breastplate, too big for a child to fit into its mouth, and gave it to her instead. Her attention was immediately on it, and she started turning it in her hands, examining her new toy.

He wouldn’t hide her, Ganondorf realized, nor would she be a tool to use against the royal family. Or at least not if it would do her any harm.

Dinaru had been born a princess of Hyrule, and she would remain a princess in Ganondorf’s own domain as well.

It didn’t matter what his own advisors would have to say, they would not be able to deny who the child was. They would see her as their King’s daughter, and raise her as their own, if it came to that.

Ganondorf allowed himself to fall asleep for a little while, knowing that Frostfire would make noise if anything larger than a hawk dared to approach their resting place. He only rested for a few hours, and rose when there were still a few hours before sunrise left. Dinaru was asleep, and Ganondorf filled up her bottle once more before warping the distraught goat back to where he’d found her, her owners none the wiser.

Dinaru had awoke in that short absence, and was crying bitter tears once more. This time it was enough to take her in his arms and rock her for a little while. She had grown used to Ganondorf quickly, no longer fearing the hard surface of his armour or a dark face with golden eyes staring down at her.

She remained quiet as Ganondorf cradled her in one arm carefully, the other holding Frostfire’s rains, and by the time the great stallion’s hooves hit the desert sand rather than solid rock she was fast asleep.

Ganondorf didn’t stop again, steadily riding up and down the gentle slopes of the familiar dunes of his realm. The desert was slowly quieting now, unaware that a new princess was entering her realm for the very first time.


	3. Chapter 3

The cool morning air smelled of freshly baked bread and spices as Ganondorf made his way through the narrow streets of his fortress town. Walls rose high on either side of him, always shadowed by the buildings, and he could hear voices from the windows which lay several feet over his head, even astride. It was early enough that there wasn’t much noise coming from the direction of the market squares and larger streets near him. He knew how to move through his home to avoid seeing anyone at any time of day, and having entered through a smaller side gate to the area nobody had ran into him yet. The guards knew better than to cause any fuss about their King returning, and to them Ganondorf’s arrival was just as any other Gerudo returning after a few days in the desert.

Dinaru had awoken briefly, when the sun had risen in a grey and red disc of light that painted yard long shadows over the sand, but by now she was dozing once more, unaware of the new surroundings. Nobody had noticed her yet, as she was wrapped in so many blankets. It would soon become too warm for them, though at least Ganondorf hadn’t had to worry about keeping her warm at night either.

The stables lay further back in the fortress, near the tall cliffs where the training grounds lay and where a broad path led up to the buildings that made up the palace, overlooking all else. Nobody would be there at the time, save for the stable-hands.

Mevoora, the young girl who took care of the horses, came running as soon as she recognized the unmistakable sound of Frostfire’s hooves. She took the reins from Ganondorf’s hands, having to reach up high to grab them until the stallion bowed his head for her. He wasn’t fond of anyone but his master coming too close to him, but he let the child handle him willingly.

“Take good care of him,” Ganondorf instructed the girl. “He has a long journey behind him.”

Mevoora bowed deeply, keen on doing her work right, and gave Ganondorf a big gap-toothed grin when he handed her a small polished copper coin. He always had one for the youngest stable-hand, knowing that she would no doubt use it to buy sweet almond cakes without her mother knowing.

A long steep path led up the side of the cliffs towards the palace, away from the main road and barely broad enough to let two warriors walk side by side. Ganondorf chose that path as soon as he left the stables behind. He wouldn’t need to explain anything just yet if he stayed out of the public eye, but he would not be able to keep assumptions and rumours from spreading if he was seen.

The stairs led right up to a simple door leading into the palace, unlocked during the day. It was part of the lower quarters of the buildings, with a kitchen and rooms for the guards to share during breaks, as well as a cistern and a cooling room with frost covering the walls, where food or potions were stored.

As Ganondorf walked through the cool hallways he could hear voices muffled by tapestries that generously lined the walls. Those who patrolled the perimeter at night and in the early morning were eating their fill in the kitchens before heading home to sleep, chatting in their loud booming voices. The young serving girls were quieter, but still audible in the rooms around him as well. With each step Ganondorf could feel some of the usual tensions ease off him, his steps growing shorter and his posture relaxing a little. There was nobody to intimidate or fight off _here_ in his own palace.

By the time Ganondorf reached his private rooms, his presence had been noted. He hadn’t even begun unclasping his cloak when one of the older serving girls hurried into the room to see who had entered. Evaril had chosen to serve and work in the palace for its closeness to the fortress’ public library, where she was studying with the Elder of Knowledge to become a librarian as well. Under her vest she already wore the dark grey and black colours of the scribes, and though she still wore her hair short and her bangs still covered the gem on her forehead Ganondorf knew that soon she would leave to work in her chosen designation fully.

For now he knew that she was one of the cleverest of the young girls serving at the palace, quick to come up with solutions for everyday problems and knowing the area as well as her own home. If she hadn’t come right away, he might have called for her.

“My King,” she said, as soon as she saw who had arrived, bowing deeply. “I hope the winds were favourable on your journey.”

“As favourable as the sun is sure to rise,” Ganondorf replied, and discarded his cloak. “I have a task for you, Evaril, which might require quite a bit of running.”

The girl straightened to give him a curious look, and Ganondorf turned to face her fully. He took a few steps closer to her, not yet close enough to fully tower over the stocky girl. Dinaru made a soft noise in her sleep as he tilted the bundle in his arm enough to let Evaril see her.

“I am in need of the most basic supplies for an infant, clothes, a cradle maybe, bottles suitable for her age. Find me all you think is necessary; borrow where you can, commission new things where it’s not as urgent. I trust you know of a child’s needs.”

Evaril stared at the baby with wide confused eyes, but quickly remembered her place and nodded.

“I am the youngest of my mother’s children, and my sisters had children of their own already. I know what she will need and I can bring all that my nieces don’t need anymore.”

Ganondorf nodded, pleased.

“Then you probably know more about practical child care than I do. Go then, fetch these things and before you come back, make sure to tell a healer to come as well. I want to make sure this one is healthy.”

Evaril bowed deeply once more, and then she was already out the door and darting through the halls near soundlessly.

It would take only a little while for the word to spread, even if Evaril didn’t actually walk around speaking of it too freely. For now Ganondorf didn’t mind that, and went about getting rid of his armour. The main room in his chambers had a rack just for his gear, and as there wasn’t anyone to assist him he settled for removing his outer layers with magic.

Ganondorf placed Dinaru on one of the low couches in his rooms, creating a small barrier out of her blankets so she wouldn’t manage to roll off the furniture. It wouldn’t be a long fall, but why risk her getting injured and crying? She didn’t seem to mind being put down again, and her eyes focused on the dark red and gold tapestry on the wall next to her.

Ganondorf removed his armour piece by piece and let it attach itself to its correct spot on the rack, starting with his hands and moving up to his shoulders and chest. His ears were strained to hear anyone’s approach, knowing that it wouldn’t take long for somebody to come see him over this. He heard the steps when he just started on working the clasps of his chest-piece open, and only when she was just outside the door.

As expected, Nabooru marched into the room without asking for permission, something she always omitted anyway, her strides quick but elegant and her motions fluid as a dance.

Her eyes flashed hard as she laid eyes on her King, the only one in the entire fortress whose status was directly above hers. Instead of the usual jokes or teasing words in greeting, she remained quiet for a few moments, gaze darting through his room until it fell on Dinaru.

“So it’s true. You have brought a little child along with you,” she said, her eyes drilling into Ganondorf. Once he’d been scared of her when she gave him that look, both still young and with no greater concerns than who had used whose wooden sword without permission.

“Greetings to you, Captain of the Fortress,” Ganondorf said in a mocking tone as he let the chest pieces of his armour drift to the air to join all he had already discarded.

“One of your little sparrows is running about searching for her sisters and asking for supplies for an infant,” Nabooru went on, confirming Ganondorf’s suspicion about Evaril not being able to gather all she needed without rousing some attention. Nothing happening in the palace was kept secret from Nabooru for long anyway.

“She said that our King has need for these. And as you obviously haven’t managed to change your shape through some misused magic…”

She stepped to Dinaru, looking at the child over her long nose and raised her eyebrows.

“Wherever did you find this one?”

“She was given to me,” Ganondorf said with an easy shrug, finally free of most of his armour. Nabooru didn’t offer her help as he removed the last of the leather undercoat and stepped out of his boots to step over to her on bare feet, not making any sound at all.

Nabooru threw him a look that spoke volumes of her doubt in him. She reached down to gently pick Dinaru up and out of her blankets, examining her carefully and rocking her in her arms. Ganondorf could see the way Nabooru examined the baby’s long pointy ears, and the fine silk clothes with silver embroidery, reminiscent of the Hylian royal crest. There would be no hiding who that child was with her, even if Ganondorf had put his mind to try.

“It _is_ true,” Nabooru whispered thoughtfully. “Your and the princess’ affair went on for long enough for… Results.”

She turned her head and sneered at Ganondorf, out of view of Dinaru who had busied herself with reaching for one of the ruby earrings Nabooru favoured.

“Her highness personally gave me our daughter to take care of,” he assured her, smiling as Nabooru winced when her earring was grabbed and pulled.

The warrior gently pried it from the baby’s grip and nudged Dinaru’s nose in retribution.

“It’s far more likely that you have stolen her away.”

“On the contrary. A yet unknown member of the Hylian council, or perhaps more, has tried to poison the little princess here, no doubt to make sure that the Hylian bloodline would not be tainted by a Demon’s blood. They’ve never held me in much regard after all.”

Nabooru’s face hardened. She’d been in Hyrule more than once, an esteemed guest in the royal palace no less, and still she had felt the disdain of the council members. Both for being a woman who openly carried two swords and didn’t dress as modestly as Hylian women were expected to - even when she did choose her wardrobe to suit the weather and her function as both a guard and a leader - and for being Gerudo.

Her finger traced Dinaru’s ear, making the baby giggle with delight. Perhaps it was Nabooru’s softer features and more familiar form that made the child warm up to her so fast, or maybe she had already grown used to seeing new things and new people every other minute. Somehow Dinaru looked at home in this place to Ganondorf, being held by one of his warriors, even though her ears and clothes marked her as different still.

Evaril returned in that moment, bowing deeply to Nabooru as she spotted her, and then walking over to Ganondorf to hand over a bundle.

“I have found some blankets, bottles and swaddling clothes,” she said as he took it from her. “And I’ve asked among the healers as well. Oorra promised to arrive as soon as she gathers some more things you will need even if the child is in full health.”

“Thank you for this,” Ganondorf told her, and Evaril bowed once more before leaving his rooms again.

Nabooru was quiet for a while as he unwrapped the blanket and started sorting through what had been brought to him. Finally she turned to him and held the child closer.

“I suppose it’s no use to ask you if all of this has been your plan from the start?”

“It wasn’t.”

“This is just so very convenient. A desperate princess who already might have fallen for you in some way or another, an overly eager councilman needing nothing but a slight nudge to try and dispose of a child you’re interested in, the princess so desperate she willingly brings you something you could use to blackmail her… You must admit, it doesn’t sound entirely off as far as your ambitions go.”

Ganondorf laughed. Nabooru was right, it might have been something to consider if the thought of ever having a child with Zelda had crossed his mind. It hadn’t though, not even without ulterior motives. Perhaps because it had seemed so ridiculous to him that the bearer of Wisdom would let herself be tricked into something like this or willingly bear a child if she suspected foul play.

“Perhaps. But this put all my previous plans regarding Hyrule on hold,” he said, ignoring Nabooru’s unimpressed stare. “The princess appealed to my pride, you see. Even if I have the upper hand here, no child of the Gerudo will ever be such a bargaining chip in this conflict. And I cannot harm her mother either, can I now? Any attack on Hyrule would inevitably harm Princess Zelda as well, which then would be inexcusable if she hasn’t given me a personal reason.”

Nabooru watched him for a few more moments before she laughed, loud and cackling.

“Oh how precious, you _were_ raised right after all,” she purred with a pleased look, and reached up to pinch Ganondorf’s cheeks, ignoring his growl and how she had to rise up on her toes to do so.

She paused for a moment, to gaze at Dinaru who was giving her a big toothless smile, not sure about what was going on other than the strange woman holding her laughing so much.

“What is her name anyway?”

“Her mother named her Dinaru.”

Nabooru paused for a moment to think, then she snickered as she realized what the Hylian court might think of that.

“Welcome to the family, Dinaru,” she said, bowing down to rub her nose against the baby’s, making her giggle. “I’m Nabooru and the only one who keeps your father in check around here.”

Dinaru reached for Nabooru’s headdress, babbling, but Nabooru was quick enough to lower her out of reach and wagged her finger. 

“No gem stealing, my dear. You’re too young to even have pockets to hide it in.”

Dinaru made another attempt to reach for the topaz on Nabooru’s forehead, but before she could start crying about being refused a new toy, a knock caught everyone’s attention. One of the healers that dedicated most of her time to the young girls of the fortress stood in the doorway, a long skirt with countless pockets over her loose pants.

“So there is a child to look at here?” Oorra asked, looking a little miffed about something. “Here I thought Evaril was joking.”

She stepped between Ganondorf and Nabooru, not bothering with formalities, and gently took Dinaru in her arms before moving to put her back on the couch.

“Usually I’m called to see a child for the first time when she is _born_ ,” Oorra muttered as she examined Dinaru’s face. “And I’ve never seen a Gerudo child with such obvious Hylian traits.”

She raised her eyebrows and glanced from Nabooru to Ganondorf. Without waiting for an explanation she turned back to the baby, muttering something quietly. Oorra was one of the older healers of the fortress, having assisted with every birth in the past twenty years, and being only a few years away from being invited to the council of elders. She never much cared for formalities while doing her work and for now Ganondorf appreciated it, as she wouldn’t even speak about her suspicions to anyone.

Nabooru and Ganondorf stepped aside, letting the healer do her work quietly as she gently patted the baby’s body to look for injuries or signs of sickness. 

Soon enough her presence wouldn’t be kept quiet at all. Usually everyone knew when a new child was about to join the community, with her mother visibly expecting. Sometimes one would return after some prolonged absence from the fortress, with an infant in her arms, though those times were rare. There was some protocol, for the rare times a King was there to even sire a child, usually his daughter would have been presented at a feast about a week after her birth. 

He could still do this with Dinaru, and present her as a princess just like he would have if she had been desert-born. Something made Ganondorf feel like that might not be the wisest course of action. There was little to no chance for this information to make it all the way to Hyrule Castle, where Zelda no doubt was making sure that none but her knew of Dinaru’s whereabouts even now. 

Perhaps it would be better to still hold a feast, but not have it center around the little child. Perhaps it would be better to quietly introduce her existence to the council and the most trusted leaders of the fortress, so the knowledge might spread quietly among the people. An official presentation to everyone could wait until after Ganondorf had taken her to the Spirit Temple to make Dinaru a princess officially. 

For now it was enough that his daughter was hidden away in the desert, far off from any Hylian who might wish her harm.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait, this chapter kept growing in growing, university obligations got in the way, and besides, it's a flashback chapter and I'm never that fond of writing this. I hope it's worth the wait!

The rumours of the Demon King hurried ahead of the man in question and filled every nook and cranny of the castle, reaching every ear and being whispered from every mouth just as soon as it was announced he might come.

There were legends around him, of course, hushed tales of a creature more beast than man, of a King cruel as can be, drowning the lands in fire and darkness. Reincarnated, a vessel of evil, a vessel of Din’ Power, alive once more, a sole man among the Gerudo after centuries since he last walked through Hyrule. Dry accounts in ancient history books, forgotten just as soon as teachers spoke of him without making him sound interesting at all, myths and halftruths and legends far too exciting and improbable for anyone to be sure whether they were true anymore, blended together in their minds. All those stories painted a picture of Ganondorf Dragmire that had the common people of Castle town abuzz in anticipation and left the more educated nobles with soft superior smiles on their lips. 

King Gaepora did not share in the excitement that spread through most of his subjects, and he paid no heed to most of the tales people would tell each other. He had known the Gerudo Lord since before Ganondorf had reached majority. Gaepora had always been more scholar than ruler at heart, hoping that this would make some difference, and that the ancient tales of the wars and the conflict of the carries of the triforce parts would not come to pass. He would ignore it as best as he could, only paying attention to the divine power if it was absolutely necessary. To him, Ganondorf Dragmire would only ever be the Gerudo he appeared to be. It would not be fair to treat him as something he had not chosen to be born as. He needed the loyalty and support of the people of the desert, and he had long accepted that though he might seem naïve and act too trusting, it was the best he could do for his own people.

His daughter on the other hand, had no such qualms. Princess Zelda had known that the strange power running in her veins was not just the royal blood and the ancestry of a goddess her line claimed ever since she first learned how to write and read. She had always known that the legends were truer than some would believe, and she had known that she carried the Triforce of Wisdom before anyone even noticed the divine power radiating of the young girl. She had realized that the other two were out there somewhere as well only a little while after that.

And now the carrier of Power, the one who had been her biggest enemy in another life, was coming to stay at the castle and serve her father.

Nobody would have noticed from what little Zelda let on, but she looked forward to their first meeting with impatience. Only Impa knew, but then there was nothing Zelda had ever managed to keep from her most loyal servant, guard, and her oldest friend.

“Be careful once Dragmire is here,” Impa would whisper to Zelda as she helped her put her hair up in braids for the night a week before the Gerudo were scheduled to arrive. “Even if it doesn’t seem like it to you, he might start planning something once he is actually here.”

Zelda would smile and thank Impa for the concern. No matter how hot her curiosity burned, she would not grow careless and let Ganondorf seize more power than she would want him to have. Impa knew that her warnings were not needed, but she could not shake her instinct to shield Zelda from anyone who might harm her, whether the princess could take care of the matter herself or no.

When the day finally came to preen herself out and for all the nobles and councilmen invited to the castle try and make themselves seem imposing, Zelda took more time than usual to pick out a dress for the occasion. It had to be just right to suit the occasion of the first meeting between the carriers of Wisdom and Power.

She chose an elegant dress of creamy lavender silks and crystal studded blue that appeared like an early evening starry sky. Delicate gloves served to hide the callouses earned from her harp and sword training, though it would still subtly show that there was strength in her. The dress was narrow all the way down to her hips, but the fabric flared and moved elegantly with the slightest motion, light as a whisper and not weighting Zelda down too much. The decorative armour to put around her waist and shoulders was more ceremonial than practical, and it was of no use in a fight of steel weapons, but the runes carved into it would make it obvious to anyone who understood magic that it _was_ functional nevertheless. The silver and sapphires Zelda’s handmaidens helped braid into her hair and hang around her neck to lie just over her chest softened the look once more, to show that she wasn’t expecting the armour to actually come in handy.

It was a little unusual for Zelda to feel this concerned with what she should choose to wear for the event. Of course she knew of the importance of first impression, and of course she knew how easy it was to drastically change how people saw her depending on how she presented herself. In this case she could not stop feeling as if a great deal hinged on how Lord Dragmire thought of her at that very first meeting.

The moment approached quickly enough, with Zelda’s maids nervously adjusting the last straps and jewels so their princess would not look like anything less than perfection that befitted the power of a goddess. Zelda did not protest the adjustments until a page knocked at her door politely and informed her that their guests had arrived at the gates of castle town, so her presence was required.

The sky outside, slightly blurred by the panelled windows Zelda strode by on her way to the throne room was dark. A few valiant slivers of blue and rose shone through the heavy grey clouds, but with the sun so close to setting there was nothing they could do to make the heavens look more pleasant. It did not matter by the time Zelda reached the room where it felt like all of the palace’s important inhabitants had already gathered. Chandeliers and beautiful lamps in twisted golden cages illuminated the room as if sunlight was flooding through every window.

Guards stood at a respectful distance from the long dark purple carpet that led from the main doors to the platform on which the thrones stood, a display of power but not so much so that their guests might feel as if they were prisoners. Men in elegant frock-coats and polished brooches, as well as ladies in delicate and wide dresses gathered at the sides of the halls, some constantly adjusting their adornments, all whispering quietly but still filling the hall with a loud buzz of voices.

King Gaepora arrived just as Zelda did, both entering the hall through a small door behind the thrones. Everyone bowed as the King stepped up to take his seat but he waved them to stop and the conversations returned to the same volume as before. Zelda paid them no mind, her ears unable to pick out specific conversations anyway. She sat down and neatly adjusted her skirts about her, before stilling and fixing her eyes on the door, unmoving as if she was cut from marble.

The trumpets began a loud fanfare as the main doors opened, and the gathered people quietened down. 

The company arrived quietly. They were all women, dark skinned with ears far more round than a Hylian’s, their flaming red hair tied back and into long queues, decorated by heavy jewels. They wore leather and bronze, formfitting jerkins that emphasised their curves in near scandalous ways but no doubt hid good armour underneath either way, and wide flowing pants. Their weapons were sheathed, but they carried swords and whips or even axes in full display. They were impressive, no doubt, and Zelda already wished to find some time to speak to these women warriors during their stay.

They were nothing against the man who paced before them. He stood taller than any one man in the entire hall, no, the entire palace perhaps. Unlike his people Lord Dragmire was dressed in heavy fully plated armour, black and grey with runes painted on every piece in white and gold, speaking of arcane power who held and could protect himself against. His hair was as bright and fire like as that of the other Gerudo, but instead of letting it fall over his back it was tied in neat coils, held in place by rubies and golden pins that stood above his head like a halo.

He had swords strapped to his back, half hidden by his own mass and the cloak he wore, and yet Zelda was sure that the blades were the size of an average man.

It was his eyes that drew Zelda in the most. They looked as if they were pools of liquid gold, as bright as the light that Zelda cast with her magic at times, but they _felt_ different. With each step he took towards the thrones she could feel more power thrum through her veins, could taste it in the air.

She nearly didn’t notice her father rising to his feet, and followed suit.

Ganondorf’s lips twitched slightly as he stepped right up to the few steps leading up to the throne, still at a respectful enough distance.

“Your Majesty,” he said, his voice deep and smooth and resonating in Zelda with a familiarity that was nearly disorienting.

Gaepora stood still as the Gerudo sank down to one knee, bowing deeply. He put his hand over his chest in his respectful bow, and Zelda wasn’t sure if it was just her imagination that let her see a faint outline of the triforce shimmering on the back of his hand.

“I trust you have found your travel to Castle Town a pleasant one, Lord Ganondorf?” Gaepora said, inclining his head in respect as well. “I am deeply grateful for you to have made the effort.”

“But of course, your Majesty,” Ganondorf replied, head still bowed. “It is the least I could do to ensure a better communication between our two nations.”

He turned just a little, indicating behind him.

“Let me introduce you to my second in command, Captain Nabooru.”

The women behind him bowed, a little stiffly but deep enough for nobody to interpret is at insulting, and the one who stood right behind Ganondorf placed her hand over her chest as well. She had sharp features and it seemed to Zelda that she had a few gems more set in her clothes than the others, but little made her stand apart from the other Gerudo.

“All of your people are very welcome here and will be shown to their rooms soon enough,” Gaepora said, and then looked at his daughter.

“You haven’t had the pleasure of meeting my heir, princess Zelda, I think.”

Finally Ganondorf looked up, his eyes flashing with amusement. He looked at Zelda as if she were an old friend, and they _had_ met each other countless times through their past lives.

“No, your Majesty. I am glad to finally meet you face to face, princess, I have heard so much of you.”

He sounded and looked like a wolf who had just found his newest pray, and Zelda’s lips curled into a smile.

“As have I of you, my Lord. I do hope that we will have the time to get to know each other so much better now. I hope I don’t disappoint now that you can speak to the real me.”

Her smile was matched by Ganondorf’s, and he took her hand gently, his own so much broader and bigger than hers. Kneeling he would be just a little bit taller than Zelda, but as she stood on the steps she got to look down at his as he pressed his lips against her knuckles politely.

“You could never disappoint me, princess.”

 

*

 

Weeks had passed and the rumours had mostly died down. Of the servants and common folk there were few left who still hoped to see something unusual about their guests, though most just decided to go on with their work as before. The people in the town were still a little unsure of how to act around Gerudo, but decided to just treat the women as normal.

It was the nobles and councilmen who had still not grown used to the King of the desert people to be in their midst, and as an equal no less.

Zelda had little patience for council meetings most days, knowing that time would be wasted with false politeness and some silly displays of power from one lord to the other. It wasn’t always something her father attended, not important enough to disrupt his other duties, but Zelda still felt like she ought to attend as many as possible to make sure she knew as much as possible about how her council thought and operated. One day she would be Queen, and perhaps the members would change many times over. She still didn’t want to miss any signs of a clever and useful mind, or one where ambitious led to acting unwisely.

It did become much more interesting with Lord Ganondorf attending as well. Even without his heavy armour he never made the impression that he would go down in a fight, both physical and mental. He had a quick with, and a way with words that Zelda hadn’t quite expected from the wielder of Power.

He brought a breath of fresh air to the old dynamic of the stuffy small room. His views were different than that of the Hylian nobles around him, unlike most he did not speak when he knew that his knowledge in a certain field was lacking, soaking up what he heard instead and returning for the next meeting after having familiarized himself with it as much as possible. He had no concern for the titles for those around him, showing about as much respect as was returned to him without cowering or dropping a perfect courtly politeness, which made some of the older men in the circle bristle. He never talked down to Zelda, as some did, but he would not back down when he felt like she was wrong in some point, or wished her to listen to his opinions.

It was… fun.

Zelda had always relished conversations like this, being able to discuss her own stance with somebody who did not agree, but did not feel like she was something special due to her inherent power, or like her opinion was to be belittled for her being just a princess.

It always left her with a pleased smile if he dared to contradict her and offered good arguments for whatever point he tried to make. Even after leaving the council room Zelda’s mood was still elevated, even though she had to stay behind a little longer as some lords wished to speak to her further.

She was so lost in her thoughts that she barely even noticed when one of them approached her with a bow.

“My princess, I wish to ask you something. You surely have heard of the hunting party that will take place soon. Would you do us the honour of accompanying us?”

It took Zelda a second to place a name to the face of the young man, one of the newest and quieter members of her council.

Arkidan was the son of one of the older stuffier council members, and would probably inherit his father’s position one day. He was educated enough, though his knowledge wasn’t well rounded enough to be of much use yet. He’d grown up only knowing of the things that were needed for his family’s estates and did not see the bigger pictures often. He was trying though, and she could respect his efforts. One day he would make a good councillor though.

“A hunting party might be interesting, yes,” she said as she noticed Arkidan’s eager and shy gaze. It wasn’t her favourite pastime, but even in the company of a party as that just taking a trip to ride out would be quite pleasant. “There shouldn’t be any obligations on that day, I’m certain.”

“I’m looking forwards to this, your highness,” the boy said and bowed deeper than necessary to show respect. Zelda smiled at him and went on her way. 

The palace had only one grand library, but there were many smaller rooms with few bookshelves and more tables and comfortable armchairs to pass the time. 

Zelda did not expect for anyone to be there until she opened the door to find the lamps lit and a small fire burning as if it had been going for a few hours already. It didn’t take much to spot the one who’d entered the room before her, Ganondorf’s towering form only half hidden by one of the few shelves in the room.

He turned at the sound of the door, closing the book he held gently.

“My apologies for interrupting,” Zelda said politely. “I had not expected this room to be claimed by a guest already.”

“Is this library a private one? I had not thought to ask the servants.”

“It is not. It’s merely unusual for somebody to use it, that is all.”

Zelda stepped into the room fully, pulling the door closed behind her and walked closer, her eyes wandering over the book spines in search of something to entertain her for now. She could see Ganondorf watching her out of the corners of her eyes.

“Has nobody shown you the main library yet? I could do so if you wish.”

Ganondorf laughed quietly.

“Oh I have seen it already, quite impressive I must say. But no, I simply prefer reading quietly and with not too many librarians gazing over my shoulder or trying to find some fault in my choice of reading material. Back home I would simply take the books I want from the library, but I felt I shouldn’t do so in a strange castle.”

The mention of a Gerudo library piqued Zelda’s interest and she glanced down at the book he held in his hands. It was a tome about the origin and analysis of local folk tales and music, not something she’d expected for a warlord to be interested in.

“If you wish I could arranged for books you wish to see to be brought here,” she said with a polite smile, knowing that any suspicious material would be reported back to her father either way. Perhaps that was also a reason for Ganondorf to pick this room in particular.

Ganondorf gave her a strange, nearly amused look, and she knew that he must be aware of that fact for sure.

“That would be kind of you. This room is mostly used by you, isn’t it? If you were not expecting anyone to be here.”

“Indeed. The people that come to this part of the castle don’t have the time to linger I’m afraid.”

Suddenly feeling bold Zelda gave him a smile that was as close to genuine as she would ever allow herself to get near her father’s men.

“But since you seem to appreciate these so much more, we should have some discussion about our reading material some time. It seems there is at least a little overlap,” she said sweetly, gesturing at the book he held in his hands.

Ganondorf did not break their eye contact as he returned the smile, mirroring Zelda’s perfectly.

“It would be my pleasure.”

*

The hunting party was large enough that smaller groups flocked together before the small summer house near the forest was reached. There were mostly council members among them, their sons and a few young ladies, some high ranking officers of the palace guard and some soldiers, as well as several lords simply there to enjoy watching the sort.

She was looking forward to being in the forest more than being in the company of most of these people. Though as Lord Ganondorf was there, she was a little curious about how it would be like to spend time with him more than just meeting to discuss whatever they were reading, and the council meetings of course. So far spending her private time with him was just as rewarding as the council meetings.

Several Gerudo had joined, sitting comfortably in light leather armour rather than the hunting dress Zelda wore. It was a comfortable enough dress, but nowhere near as practical as what she would wear were she on her own.

Lord Ganondorf pointed out as much as soon as he steered his enormous black mount to ride along Zelda on her lithe white mare. He spoke quietly, and only came as close to the princess as was appropriate for an outing such as their, but close enough to have a private conversation.

“I’m afraid it would not be seen as proper for me to wear anything other than this,” Zelda told him, not willing to let her true thoughts on her current attire to be known. If it were up to her she would wear the same kind of clothes that Impa wore on a daily basis, but a Hylian princess simply couldn’t dress as a Sheikah. “Though I think it would be interesting to see the reactions if I wore the same attire as your own people.”

Ganondorf glanced back to where the other Gerudo were talking among themselves in their own language, which Zelda only understood in parts. He himself was wearing a much lighter version of the armour Zelda had seen him in upon their first meeting, fitting his form in much the same ways as the women’s. He didn’t wear the spiked crown, but the glint of golden clasps still shone through his coiled up hair and a dark cape fell over his back.

“Have you found a weapon, my Lord?” Zelda asked when he only smirked about the comment on her clothes. “I heard you asking the captain of the armoury earlier?”

“They had a suitable bow,” Ganondorf replied and put his hand on one of the largest crossbows available in the palace. “I don’t usually hunt with arrows, if I ride out to do so.”

He did not elaborate, but his eyes fell on the bow and quiver full of arrows attached to Zelda’s saddle.

“This weapon bears your royal crest though. I take it you go out with such parties often.”

“When invited, yes, it would be rude to decline without good reason. I practice more often though, it would do me no good to only ever hone my mind, wouldn’t it?”

Ganondorf’s too bright eyes were on her as he watched her with an unreadable expression. Zelda wondered whether he was seizing her up to see how much of a challenge she would be, should the history of their past lives repeat itself just as some still feared.

By then the group had reached the forest, and hounds were being readied. Zelda knew the place well, venturing out on her own at times, but Ganondorf would need some instructions first, she was sure.

“Let us hope that we shoot down enough to have a feast of venison this night,” she said with a courtly smile, and dug her heels in her mare’s side to urge her on before Ganondorf could react.

Nobody stopped her as she rushed past the first trees and down familiar paths, knowing that her mare was familiar enough with the terrain not to worry about guiding her well. She did not look for signs of prey for a while, simply enjoying the sounds and smells in the air around her.

Everything smelled crisp and free, the hooves beat against slightly damp earth and birds sang loudly around her. Columns of light framed her path, gold and green rushing past her in a mosaic.

Once she was sure that nobody had followed her Zelda let her horse pick her own pace. She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds of the forest around her.

The sound of running water nearby felt like a melody that ought to be accompanied by a harp, or maybe flutes, and only rarely did the sounds of the hunting party carry to her. The main party would only catch something by chance, she knew, but a few would have strayed just as she did and hunt down enough for the cooks back in the palace to work with.

Thinking of this Zelda opened her eyes again and gently slid of her mare, who had stopped as soon as she sensed her rider’s movement.

She took her bow and slowly moved through the undergrowth, away from her horse, towards where the water’s murmur was loudest. Her steps were gentle and carefully placed, letting her move no louder than the wind in the branches.

Zelda spotted the deer before the animal had even noticed anything amiss. It was a pretty animal, fully grown and currently completely at ease by the water. Without hesitation Zelda drew an arrow and drew her bow. She slowed her breathing, and took aim, only waiting for a few seconds before releasing her shot.

The arrow whirred through the air, hitting the doe’s chest deep, and at the same time a blur of black grazed the doe’s neck, missing as it fell from the first arrow’s impact, before burying itself deeply into the wood of a slender tree nearby.

Zelda’s eyes darted from her prey to see Ganondorf standing across from her, at the other end of the small clearing, his own eyes trained on her. He hadn’t lowered his crossbow from where he’d held it to aim at the doe. There was something strange in his expression, and Zelda couldn’t care less just now.

“A good shot,” she commented as she moved forwards, putting away her bow as if she had just been interrupted during training. It would not do to let her courtliness slip.

“As was yours,” Ganondorf replied as he moved towards where the doe had fallen as well.

Neither of them commented on how much quicker to the draw Zelda had been, and how it had made the bolt miss its mark. 

“I should congratulate you on your kill,” he said then, when they both stood only inches apart. 

He towered over her, and she tried to suppress the pleasant shiver that ran down her spine. They both stared at each other wordlessly, ignoring the deer, ignoring the forest around them. It was strange and a little exciting, somehow, a situation Zelda had not expected to be in. 

She only realized that she had leaned closer when Ganondorf leaned down as well, bringing his face dangerously close to her own. It was the last thing she should do, the least suitable place to even consider… 

Ganondorf quirked his eyebrows, waiting for her to make a move or let it be, and there, in the clearing of a forest, no more than a shout away from her court, was the first time Zelda kissed him. 

 

*

Rain fell outside, no louder than a gentle whisper through the thick stone walls and the glass panels of her windows. It was warm in the room, both from the small fire her maids had stoked earlier before retiring for the night and from the body pressed against her.

Zelda’s head rested against Ganondorf’s shoulder as he spoke, listening to the soothing rumble of his voice that matched the rain perfectly as he ran his hand over her side, idly, lost in thought. He was warm enough that Zelda didn’t feel like getting the blankets to cover herself with them for the cold and her own modesty. Not that it really mattered, given how they’d seen each other undressed more than enough in the past two weeks.

It hadn’t been that surprising that the kiss they’d shared had truly been a promise for more to Zelda. Really, with the strange attraction between them and their energies it seemed natural that they would be interested in one another in more ways than one.

“Desert storms are rare, and they don’t often hit our home when they do happen,” Ganondorf said. Just like the heat, the cold and storms were cruel there.

“We would bring all the animals inside, lock every door and window and make sure none would be forced open by the wind. I always liked it.”

“Why would you like such violent conditions?” Zelda mused, running her hand over his chest idly.

“Because we would gather in our main halls, and we have enough food and drink to last all those who are assembled for days if need be. Nobody leaves unless it is for short patrols. We sing and tell stories and fires burn to comfort the children. It’s just something you grow used to, so you don’t worry. But we do this against boredom really.”

There was such a fond tone in his voice that Zelda couldn’t help but smile.

“I hope I can see the Gerudo desert for myself one day,” she said, earning a laugh.

“One day,” Ganondorf said, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. “I will show you all its wonders myself.

 

*

It was two months after Ganondorf had left to return to his desert that Zelda realized something was wrong. For all her wisdom and knowledge, she didn’t pay too much attention to what her body was doing, if it wasn’t tied to magic, so she supposed it was her own fault for not realizing sooner, when he still was there. Even so, she didn’t know what she might have told him.

None of her maids were in the room where Zelda sat on the floor, still in her nightgown. They were nervous, noticing their princess’ distraught state and feeling the electric hint of magic in the room as well. None of them knew the art, so they understandably were too worried they might disturb some sort of ritual, so none tried to help.

Zelda had her arms curled around her body, sitting absolutely still, not caring that she used too much magic to probe into her body and try see what was going on precisely, spilling out and bristling her hair. She didn’t move even as voices were heard outside, and the door cracked open.

She felt a shadow fall on her before hands touched her bare shoulders and Impa sank down by her side.

“My lady,” she said, her low voice quiet, ready to listen to any prophecies or commands that were meant for nobody but her. The Sheikah would do anything for her princess. Anything.

The realization that at the only person she could trust with all her soul was at her side made Zelda raise her head and look up into the blood red eyes of her guard. She could feel her magic curl in her body, wrap around the life inside her that had not been there the last time she probed like that, and she knew Impa would do whatever she asked.

“It happened…” she whispered, her voice wavering with the effort it took to calm her magic down again and stop the strange buzz of the air.

Impa’s jaw tensed, realization hitting her as soon as Zelda spoke. She had known of Zelda’s affair, of course she did, there was no point or need to hide it from her, and as her eyes moved over Zelda’s posture and the way she wrapped her arms around herself was enough to confirm.

“An accident?” she asked, voice even though Zelda new she kept all her emotions at bay.

“Yes. I was careless.”

“What do you wish to do, my princess? I can bring you anything you need and carry out any decision before nightfall if you wish me to.”

Zelda stared at the beads in Impa’s hair for a moment, processing the words and their implication.

“No need. I will… I will keep it, though I won’t speak of it until I consider everything carefully.”

Impa bowed her head, accepting without voicing whatever opinion she harboured herself.

Zelda was a little surprised at how firm her decision was to keep the child growing inside her. She had never truly thought about having children. She didn’t mind, she was aware that one day it would be her duty to marry and have a child of her own, but it was always some abstract concept. Now that she seemed to be pregnant, it really felt like the logical choice. The wave of fear that washed over her was just the anticipation of all she would have to do to ensure that everything would be fine.

It would be slightly easier if Ganondorf were still here. It would be much easier if the political situation between the Gerudo desert and Hyrule was as peaceful as it was just a year ago. Things had been slightly tense when Ganondorf was still there, many feeling that he was overstepping his boundaries, trying to get influence where he shouldn’t hold any at all, and now there were rumors that he had grown tired of playing fairly, and how he surely would raise a dark army as had happened centuries before. They were just rumours, and mostly circulated by those councilmen who had hated him, but it made no difference whether it was true or no. 

She wondered how a Gerudo child would be welcomed by her court.

Despite herself Zelda let out a pained gasp, curling in on herself further.

“My sun,” Impa whispered, her arms wrapping around Zelda as she held her in comfort, the layer of distance she kept up in her role as guard dropped. She always did what her princess needed, and now she needed a friend at her side more than a guard. As much as she could keep her emotions in check to do what was needed, nobody could keep such an attitude up indefinitely.

“I wish this would be easier,” Zelda whispered, squeezing her eyes shut to hide her tears. “This won’t… this is the worst possible situation for me, to have a child out of wedlock.”

“I know,” Impa sighed, holding her closer.

Nobody disturbed them as Zelda permitted herself to be weak for a while, letting herself feel all the fear and exhaustion she would not permit herself in the following months.

The entire time Impa was by her side, a strong presence of comfort, in a promise to be there, as she had always been. For that time Zelda could nearly believe that this was something her oldest friend and guard could shield her from.

*

It was night, and most of the palace’s servers were asleep, though a few couldn’t help but stay up, whispering excitedly. It was not every day that a princess was born, after all, and the midwives and royal family might call for food or other comforts, so most servants felt like it was best to wait for such a call. Besides, curiosity keept them from sleeping.

Zelda imagined that she could nearly hear the walls murmur all around her as she lay against the cushions, exhaustion plain on her face. The midwives who were still in the room but preparing to leave had surely seen enough exhausted mothers to ignore her being the princess, and nobody else was near.

Somebody had said something about calling the King, and Zelda had been too tired to even protest. It would be no use, her father had worried so much when her labour started, the midwives had firmly led him away. Surely he would wish to see his only child safe now. Besides, he would want to meet his granddaughter.

Zelda opened her eyes at that though, looking towards her daughter worriedly. She was out of her sight, but she could hear a soft noise from the newborn as she was being washed in a low basin and got wrapped in soft blankets. It was undeniable who her daughter was, with only one man in the entire world able to sire such a child.

She hadn’t told her father just _who_ she had had an affair with, only that it was completely mutual on both their parts, and that it was one of his lords. Gaepora had given her a sad look at the evasive answers to his questions, but he had merely promised that the child would be his heir as well, no matter what.

Of course he had been upset about Zelda not being married and being on her own with this, but she knew her father merely shared her concern with how this would play out. It wasn’t conventional, but Gaepora had often joked about not being made to be King in the past.

The door cracked open a bit, as a maid scurried in.  
“His majesty wishes to see the princess,” she said, glancing towards the midwives that were still there.

None seemed to object, so she quickly pulled the door open and stood aside.

Gaepora strode in, a heavy robe the only fine thing he was still wearing. His eyes were on the bed in the middle of the room immediately, trying to see if his daughter was fine. Only when he was sure that she was not only conscious but seemed healthy did he turn to the women in the room.

“May I see my grandchild then?”

The one who had been bathing the little one curtseyed and carried the bundle over to place in the King’s arms. He stood with his back to Zelda, so she could just watch anxiously and try to guess at what his reaction was.

He didn’t move as he gazed at the child, not speaking or looking up as the midwives and maid bowed before leaving the room. Only when they were on their own did Gaepora turn around to look at his daughter with tired eyes.

“So the father is…”

She nodded, and watched as the King walked to her bed. He looked exhausted, gazing down at his granddaughter who had fallen asleep already.

“With all the legends I would not have thought that you would… get along with him this well.”

Her father had always paid less mind to prophecies or reincarnations and other such things, so Zelda just shook her head wordlessly.

Gaepora gazed at his granddaughter for a few moments longer, not moving much, before he finally sat down at the edge of the bed and place the child in Zelda’s arms.

“I stand by what I said. She will be my heir, and yours, once you are Queen.”

The firm words and the serious look on her father’s face made Zelda breathe a little easier. She knew that her father cared more for family than for the line of succession, but to hear a confirmation for his support was more relieving that she had thought it would be.

“Do you know how to name her already?”

Zelda looked down at her daughter, thinking back to the last time she had seen Ganondorf, to all the whispers and guesses at who her lover had been, to what other whispers would rise. She smiled.

“I will name her Dinaru.”

**Author's Note:**

> And here we have me writing non-Tolkien things for once. This just wouldn't let me go until I stayed up till 4am to write it down. 
> 
> I haven't played all of the games, so if I got something wrong, I'm sorry for that.


End file.
